arXiv subjects

A. Van Proeyen

Publications and source records attributed to A. Van Proeyen.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv1993

Hidden symmetries, special geometry and quaternionic manifolds

The moduli space of the Calabi-Yau three-folds, which play a role as superstring ground states, exhibits the same {\em special geometry} that is known from nonlinear sigma models in $N=2$ supergravity theories. We discuss the symmetry structure of special real, complex and quaternionic spaces. Maps between these spaces are implemented via dimensional reduction. We analyze the emergence of {\em extra} and {\em hidden} symmetries. This analysis is then applied to homogeneous special spaces and the implications for the classification of homogeneous quaternionic spaces are discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv1993

Simplifications in Lagrangian BV quantization exemplified by the anomalies of chiral $W_3$ gravity

The Batalin--Vilkovisky (BV) formalism is a useful framework to study gauge theories. We summarize a simple procedure to find a a gauge--fixed action in this language and a way to obtain one--loop anomalies. Calculations involving the antifields can be greatly simplified by using a theorem on the antibracket cohomology. The latter is based on properties of a `Koszul--Tate differential', namely its acyclicity and nilpotency. We present a new proof for this acyclicity, respecting locality and covariance of the theory. This theorem then implies that consistent higher ghost terms in various expressions exist, and it avoids tedious calculations. This is illustrated in chiral $W_3$ gravity. We compute the one--loop anomaly without terms of negative ghost number. Then the mentioned theorem and the consistency condition imply that the full anomaly is determined up to local counterterms. Finally we show how to implement background charges into the BV language in order to cancel the anomaly with the appropriate counterterms. Again we use the theorem to simplify the calculations, which agree with previous results.

hep-th↗

arXiv1992

Symmetry structure of special geometries

Using techniques from supergravity and dimensional reduction, we study the full isometry algebra of Kähler and quaternionic manifolds with special geometry. These two varieties are related by the so-called c-map, which can be understood from dimensional reduction of supergravity theories or by changing chirality assignments in the underlying superstring theory. An important subclass, studied in detail, consists of the spaces that follow from real special spaces using the so-called r-map. We generally clarify the presence of `extra' symmetries emerging from dimensional reduction and give the conditions for the existence of `hidden' symmetries. These symmetries play a major role in our analysis. We specify the structure of the homogeneous special manifolds as coset spaces $G/H$. These include all homogeneous quaternionic spaces.

hep-th↗

arXiv1992

The regularized BRST Jacobian of pure Yang-Mills theory

The Jacobian for infinitesimal BRST transformations of path integrals for pure Yang-Mills theory, viewed as a matrix $\unity +ΔJ$ in the space of Yang-Mills fields and (anti)ghosts, contains off-diagonal terms. Naively, the trace of $ΔJ$ vanishes, being proportional to the trace of the structure constants. However, the consistent regulator $\cR$, constructed from a general method, also contains off-diagonal terms. An explicit computation demonstrates that the regularized Jacobian $Tr\ ΔJ\exp -\cR /M^2$ for $M^2\rightarrow \infty $ is the variation of a local counterterm, which we give. This is a direct proof at the level of path integrals that there is no BRST anomaly.

hep-th↗

arXiv1991

Special geometry, cubic polynomials and homogeneous quaternionic spaces

The existing classification of homogeneous quaternionic spaces is not complete. We study these spaces in the context of certain $N=2$ supergravity theories, where dimensional reduction induces a mapping between {\em special} real, Kähler and quaternionic spaces. The geometry of the real spaces is encoded in cubic polynomials, those of the Kähler and quaternionic manifolds in homogeneous holomorphic functions of second degree. We classify all cubic polynomials that have an invariance group that acts transitively on the real manifold. The corresponding Kähler and quaternionic manifolds are then homogeneous. We find that they lead to a well-defined subset of the normal quaternionic spaces classified by \Al\ (and the corresponding special Kähler spaces given by Cecotti), but there is a new class of rank-3 spaces of quaternionic dimension larger than 3. We also point out that some of the rank-4 \Al\ spaces were not fully specified and correspond to a finite variety of inequivalent spaces. A simpler version of the equation that underlies the classification of this paper also emerges in the context of $W_3$ algebras.

hep-th↗